Let Me Help
by NonsensicalCheshire
Summary: Best friends were supposed to help best friends get ready for each others weddings. Right? Right? / / Gajeel/Juvia friendship, heavily implied GaLe and Gruvia


A/N: I saw this amazing piece by rboz on tumblr for Gajevy Week and in it, Gajeel had really straight hair for his wedding, and I thought, "I wonder how Gajeel got his hair so straight?" And then this happened. So, I hope you enjoy this little piece I've written.

* * *

"Dammit all," the man attempting to get into a suit muttered. "These things are so tedious. How the hell are you supposed to get into them?"

Gajeel Redfox fumbled with the buttons on the pristine white shirt, muttering colorful curses all the while. Levy probably wouldn't have approved of the language, especially not on their wedding day, but there were times when colorful language was called for.

"Juvia thinks that Gajeel-kun could use some help," said a voice from the doorway. Gajeel's head whipped around to see Juvia Lockser, soon to be Fullbuster, and one of his closest friends (if not _the _closest) standing in the doorway. Her curly blue hair was pulled back into a loose braid and she wore a knee-length light blue dress, patterned with darker flowers on one of the corners. One of her gloved hands was held up to her mouth to hide her giggles.

"Juvia? Why are you back here? I told the Salamander that I didn't want anyone to disturb me!" he snarled at her.

"Juvia has her ways. Now, let her help Gajeel-kun."

She walked into the room and got to work on him. With him protesting all the while, she undid all the buttons on his shirt and redid them properly, smoothed out the creases he'd made, and then double-checked his shoelaces, something that he rolled his eyes at. (Then blushed and muttered an excuse because he'd accidentally tied the shoes together and would've fallen if he'd taken a step.) Juvia grabbed his tie from the nearby table and looped around his neck and expertly tied it, then shrugged his light gray coat off of a hangar and tossed it to him, and waited for him to put it on.

Chills ran up his spine when he saw her grab a brush from the table. "J-Juvia, what are you doing?" Shaking, the Iron Dragon Slayer took a few steps back towards the door, ready to flee if she was thinking about what he hoped she wasn't thinking about.

The bluenette hit her palm with the hairbrush in the other. "Juvia thinks that Gajeel-kun's hair is far too messy. She refuses to let her dearest friend go out looking like a ruffian."

He bolted. She caught him, despite the fact that she was in a rather tight-fitting dress, and shoved him down into a chair. Gajeel Redfox, the man who feared nothing, felt his teeth chatter as she lifted the hairbrush (was that a menacing look in her eye, or was he just imagining it?) and bring it down in a quick stroke. He yelped. Seriously. Gajeel yelped. He could hear Juvia's soft grunts as she fisted his hair and pulled it towards her and yanked the brush through.

"Ow ow ow ow! Stop it!"

"It only hurts because you're pulling away from Juvia!"

"NO I'M NOT- HOLY- THAT HURTS!"

"Why is your hair so tangled and messy!?"

"I like it that way, it matches my personality! And Levy likes it that way!"

"One last tangle!"

"GAH! MOTHER OF-"

Juvia put down the brush (some of the bristles were now missing) and yanked his hair back into a ponytail. "There. Now Juvia thinks that Gajeel-kun is presentable for Levy to see."

"I WAS ALREADY PRESENTABLE, YOU FREAKIN' CRAZY RAIN WOMAN!"

"Does Gajeel-kun count having his shoes tied together as presentable?"

"Wh- Well- Uh…"

"Thought not."

* * *

Juvia picked up the skirt of her wedding dress and dropped it, watching the layers of silk tumble to the floor. The day had come. It was happening. She giggled into her hand and twirled about, dancing around the back room. Evergreen and Lucy had just left, their job finished, what with pulling her lovely blue hair up into a loose bun and double-checking her face before letting her walk down the aisle. Evergreen had been particularly picky about her wedding dress. Was there any lint on it? Was there a spot? Oh my word, was that a tear? Nope, false alarm. She just wanted Juvia to look her best on such a special day with hers coming up in a few short months.

"You look super-hot," a gruff voice teasingly said from behind. "Gihihi!"

Juvia spun around, her skirts flying about in the process. She squealed and ran to Gajeel, holding out her arms to embrace him tightly. The recently-married man grabbed her and held her close, a rarity for him, shown only to Juvia and Levy. And sometimes Pantherlily. He gave her a quick pat on the head with one hand and rubbed her lower back softly with the other. "Looks like your dreams are comin' true, huh, Rain Woman?"

"Yes!" Juvia removed her arms and took a step back from him, smiling brightly. "Juvia is so happy! You know what else she's excited for?"

"What?"

"For you to walk her down the aisle."

Gajeel fixed the creases she had made in his suit jacket and grinned. "Since you helped me get ready for my special day a few weeks ago, I decided to return the favor." He looked her over. "But Stone Eyes and Bunny Girl already came in and did you up good, and I don't think I'd be good at that stuff anyway. So"- He reached into his pocket and pulled something out-"I got you this." It was a thin sliver chain, the links intertwining, and decorating it was a little teru-teru bozu, made from some sort of white stone. "You've always liked these little guys, your little teru-whatchmacallit's, right?"

Juvia felt her eyes filling with tears at his present. She sniffed, and then swallowed them down while he sighed at her sensitivity, fearful that Evergreen and Lucy would be filled with rage if she messed up her lightly-done makeup. "Gajeel-kun…" She fingered the necklace in his palm. "You've always been so good to Juvia…"

Gajeel looked a little confused and rubbed the back of his neck. "We're similar. I suppose that's why." While she sniffed back the last of her tears, he went to her back and tied the chain around her neck. "I hope your wedding day is as great as mine and Levy's was." Done securing the chain, he gave a malicious grin and leaned in close to her ear. She looked at him, baffled, from the corner of her blue eyes. "Especially the night part," he whispered breathily, hoping to get her worked up.

Juvia gave a little scream and elbowed him in the gut. He let out a faint "umph!," mostly to please her, and she held her head and staggered around.

"The-the night part… Juvia and Gray will do this and that and-"

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" he shouted. She shook her head and her blush thinned out.

There was a knock at the door. Bisca's voice came, muffled, "Juvia, Gajeel, you ready?"

"Yes, yes, Bisca-san! I'll be at my place in a few moments!" Juvia answered. The two could hear Bisca dashing off, probably chasing after Asuka or something. Juvia looked at Gajeel. "It's really happening to Juvia."

"Gihi. I could hardly believe that it was happening to me when I got married. Especially with someone as great as Levy." Gajeel pushed her to the door. "Out you go, Miss Soon-to-be-Fullbuster." Juvia smiled and turned the doorknob. "Wait!" She stiffened. "One more thing."

He reached out and yanked her hair.

"OW!"

"HA! PAYBACK!"


End file.
